News and snaps from my studio. Sometimes I write about new pieces that I’m working on that are not released yet. If I think of a tip or piece of advice that will help you look after your painting I’ll often share it here. If there’s something specific you want to find, there is a search box down below.
Dante - Wild Stag Painting
In a beautiful vibrant palette of greens and teal, this new original oil painting is now available to purchase here on my website.
Find out more here
I love this new painting, it’s really fun and vibrant. Feisty Pheasants is now available to purchase here on my website. International shipping is available.
Feisty Pheasants in Acrylics
Ive been wanting to explore some more types of paint and techniques recently, and have started to experiment with acrylic inks and acrylic paints. Its very nice to be able to develop my practice in this way. Im hugely enjoying it. This is a small canvas 40 x 50 cm with a couple of pheasants strutting their stuff
Two Hares’ Racing and Chasing
My unique painting of two Mad March hares had an outing at the weekend, at Melbourne Festival.
They attracted a lot of stares! This painting is now for sale on my website - international shipping!
How to Paint a Colourful Snow Leopard
For the past two weeks, I have been very busy as I’m creating my first online painting tutorial. I have been promising to make these for a couple of years but things kept waylaying me. So this time I have set aside a decent amount of time to master the technical side of things. If you want me to let you know when my online courses are available, sign up below.
The past two weeks I have been very busy as Im creating my first online painting tutorial. I have been promising to make these for a couple of years but things kept waylaying me. So this time I have set aside a decent amount of time to master the technical side of things. It has been quite a fun, if daunting experience so far! Im enjoying it. I hope to release the colourful snow leopard mini course this month!
An Evening Painting Session
I’m making the most of the last few remaining light evenings. I can’t drive after dark, so Winter painting is always done during the morning hours.
This lovely big red-roan lady is an English Longhorn Cow that I’m working on currently. She will be available for sale soon. I love these gentle cows. We have a beautiful Longhorn herd as neighbours over at Calke Abbey!
English Longhorn Cow: Large Oil Painting
I’m really enjoying the colours in this English Longhorn cow’s coat. I’m using red ochres, brown pinks, maroon and dark blue mixed to create beautiful violet reds and aubergine tones.
One of my favourite commissions was for the owner of a herd of these beautiful cows. I’ll put a link to that painting here. If you would like a custom painting of your favourite cow /breed of cow, please do get in touch.
Large Atmospheric Highland Cow Oil Painting
She’s just gorgeous. This is ‘Rannoch Moor’ and she measures 78 x 102 cm so rather a big girl. Reminiscent of the rugged, windswept beauty of the Scottish countryside. An oil painting on stretched canvas, this piece is gallery wrapped ready to hang unframed
If you would like a closer look at this piece, please click through to her listing, here on my website.
Rannoch Moor is suitable for international shipping if required. Please contact me for an up to date shipping quotation to your overseas location.
Colourful Background for my Stag Painting
I decided that my ne stag painting needed some more colour and interest. So I have added another layer, and used some beautiful new Autumn colours in the foliage. I will add another layer with some leaves and other botanical shapes once this layer is dry. I hope to habve this piece ready to display at the Melbourne Festival, which is taking place on the 16/17 September
These two have been in the works for a long time. They were painted at my old studio and moved into storage when i took this new studio at the Ferrers Centre. I have only just had time to get them out and have a look. I decided they werent finished after all, and I have addedd some more layers of brighter colour and changed their background. Now they are finally ready to greet the world with their high spirits!
This piece is an original oil pn a stretched canvas, ready to hang. The painting is available for worldwide shipping (with a couple of restricted countries). Find out more here
An Oil Painting Demonstration
Last week I was delighted to attend the Desford and Peckleton Art Club. Theirs is an evening meeting so I arrived at 1830 to set up my easel and get my paints ready. The demonstration ran between 1915 and 2100 with a tea break in the middle.
It is always a strange experience, to paint in front of a group of people. Just as in the studio, you hope that you will achieve the desired results but you never quite know. It’s exactly the same when folk are watching and listening, with the added chance of making yourself look like a fool!
I decided that I would demonstrate some of the current ideas I’m working on so that I could show my thoughts and decision-making process in ‘real-time’. I took one piece that I had already made a start on, the week before. And one blank canvas that I had prepared with a rough coat of black oil paint as a base.
Both pieces were of the same Eagle Owl in different poses. These were photos that we had taken of Max, one of the owls at the Rosliston Owl Centre on our visit back in April.
With the first piece, I was able to show how I begin a painting by working straight onto the canvas with a large brush. How I map out the composition, and my thought process when deciding where everything should go. In the second painting, I showed how I progress a piece after the first layer is dry, working back into the piece in glazes of colour and editing as I go along.
It was a very nice evening and hopefully it was interesting for the group of artists.
Ready to start layer 2, bac at the studio
My colours were transparent maroon, ultramarine and white
I had to dash away quickly at the end, as I turn into a pumpkin at sunset. This is due to my impaired vision not allowing me to drive after dark. Particularly on unlit country roads. I think this will preclude my attending evening groups in future, however, I will still be able to demonstrate for daytime art clubs.
Here is the first of the paintings after another hour’s work back in the studio today.
A painting of two hares for sale
This original piece is one of a series that features pairs of hares, surrounded by the magic of a wildflower meadow. I have two available pieces, and this one is’ March Hares’. Traditionally these could be called Boxing Hares, but in reality, this is more like two hares playing and having fun. The piece is quite unique, with all of the little flowery details. I came up with the idea while walking my dogs one morning last year, on one of those days when Spring is in the air and the wildlife is very much in evidence!
This piece is available for sale here
Behind the scenes!
One day last week I arrived at the studio and decided to de-clutter and have a bit of a move-around to maximise the space. I took some photos during the tidying session but forgot to take any before-and-after. Space is always at a premium when you paint quite big canvases! It is creative chaos!
Ill get some more photos this week
Painting of a Snowy Owl
I love owls, and they are gorgeous to paint, too. This new one is a Snowy Owl, half in shade, with one golden amber eye glowing.
Update* He is now finished and available for sale here
Large Stag Oil Painting, as yet un-named - 100 x 150 cm
A big new deer painting in the works
My latest large painting (100 x 150 cm ) is a painting of a stag, with proud antlers festooned with undergrowth and bracken. Im using beautiful natural shades of leaf-green, sage-green, gold and warm browns to give a contemporary yet classical effect. Once finished, he will be available to purchase on my website here
Now available - at Creative Fine Art
I have three new paintings of the famous Highland Cow, which are available to reserve through my publisher Creative Fine Art
These are all original oil paintings on canvas and will be presented in a simple float frame.
Here they are with some of the tweeds and tartans that help inspire my colour choices!
Every encounter with a bird or animal is magical, but imagine coming face to face with a majestic deer in the wild! What a breathtaking, exhilarating, special experience it is! A connection with a wild animal, however necessarily fleeting, is one of life’s great moments.
Wild animal encounters - a special privilege!
The two new pieces on my website evoke these feelings and are painted in gorgeous uplifting colours which seem to change according to the light. These are both oil paintings, in my usual expressive style. Check them out here
multi-coloured brush strokes
I have been working on a set of four new originals, which are now available for sale. These are textured pieces with brush and knife work and in very rich bright and beautiful colours. These pieces will be ready to ship soon, Benavie is now on my website. There are three larger pieces at 80 x 100 cm approx / 30 x 40 “ , and one square format canvas at 76 x 76 cm approx / 30 x 30 “
The step-by-step process is the reason my workshops are suitable for total beginners, as well as artists with more experience who want to learn new techniques and tips, all the way through to experienced artists who want a relaxing day painting away from it all, with time to experiment and try something different.
Read MoreBluebell woods painting 50 x 80 cm
Some new atmospheric paintings of bluebell woods and colourful woodland landscapes are in progress. These are the first in a new woodland series of original paintings.
Every now and again someone gets in touch and asks whether I do an online course, so that they can try one of my workshops at home. Of course Id be delighted to have the oppoprtunity to teach students all over the world. I have taken a while to get organised with everything I need, but I am now in the middle of creating my first online workshop. Let me know if youd like to get the information emailed to you when the class is available
